Means for attaching couplings to cars



(No Model.) I v E. GRAPSTROM. MANSFOR ATTACHI'NG UPLINGS T0 GARS.

No. 561,784. Patented'une 9, 1896.

WlTNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATnNT Tricea EDIVARD GRAFSTROM, OF COLUMBUS, OIIIO.

MEANSv FOR ATTACHING COUPLINGS TO CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,784, dated J' une 9, 1896.

Application lecl November 2l, 1895, Serial No. 569,650. (No model.)

To @ZZ wiz/0m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD GRAFsTnoM, a citizen of Sweden, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Iniprovenient in Means for Attaching Couplers to Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to nieans for connecting carcouplers to cars; and the objects of my invention are to provide improved means for producing such connection of a coupler with the tender or other comparatively low car as to elevate said coupler to the desired height above the track and at the saine time admit of said coupler being used in conjunction with any of the ordinary or desirable forms of resilient drait-riggin g and to produce other improvements in details of construction which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter'. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompany ing drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of one end ot' a car, showing iny improved coupler connection. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line :c of Fig; 5. Fig. 8 is a plan view of said coupler connection. Fig. a is a detail View in perspective of said connection, showing the shank of the coupler broken away. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified forni of bracket which I may employ, and Fig. (i is a similar view of a modified forni of pin.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

It is well known that in the construction of tenders and in the construction of sonic other cars employed in railway-service the bodies of such cars are supported at such 4heights from the track as not to admit of the connection of the coupler with the usual forni of spring-actuated draft-rigging beneath the car-body, and therebysupport said coupler at the proper height standard. In cases of this kind it has been customary to produce a substantially rigid connection of the shank of the coupler with the end sill of the car, and thus deprive the coupler of the resiliency which the spring draft-rigging ordinarily affords. By my invention I am enabled to produce the connection between the car and coupler at the desired ele 'ation and at the saine time afford a resilient backing for said coupler.

In carrying out my invention I secure to the end sill e of a tender or car b a bracketplate c, from which projects, as shown, parallel bracketlugs c'. The outwardly-pro jecting portions of these bracket-lugs are connected by a transverse pin c2, and on opposite sides of the center of this pin are fulcruined the upper ends of depending lever arins or bars d.

e represents a suitable forni of spring-actuated draft-rigging which is supported in the usual or desirable manner on the under side of the car-traine and which is provided with the usual spring-actuated plunger g. The outwardly-projecting end portion of this plunger I form with a transverse end rod gi, the ends of which are respectively journaled in the lower ends of the lever-arms cl.

Between the arms d and between the pins c2 and g' is pivoted the shank h of a suitable coupler or draw-bar 7U. Although thisdrawbar or coupler may be of any of the ordinary or desirable forms, I forni with the lower portion of the rear end of the shank an end extension or shoulder t', the latter being adapted to engage with the under side of the bracket-plate c, and thus retain said coupler in a desirable coupling position By the connection which I have herein described it will be seen that any jar or pressure to which the coupler may be subjected will be taken up to a desirable extent by the springs of the draft-rigging, inasmuch as any inward pressure of the coupler must result in a rearward or inward swinging of the levers and in a consequent backward 1nove nient of the spring-actuated plunger.

By my connection it is obvious that co1nparatively low cars may be provided with resilient couplers in a comparatively simple and inexpensive manner, and said coupler may at the saine time be supported at the standard height.

In Fig. of the drawings I have shown in plan, as indicated at 7o, a inediiication in the forni of bracket c, said bracket being shown with three projecting lugs 7:. instead or" the two lugs c hereinbeiore described. In case this modified forni of bracket is employed the pin-openings therethrough would, as in- IOC) in the remaining figures.) By the employment of this curved pin the lever-arms CZ, which Would be j ournaled thereon, might be permitted such lateral play or movement as may be required Without a tendency of said arms to bind on the pin.

Having now fully described my invention,

- what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a means for connecting couplers with cars the combination with a car-frame and a bracket projecting from the end thereof, and a spring-actuated draft-rigging beneath said car, levers jointedly connecting the plungerrod of said draft-rigging with said bracket and a draw-bar or coupler having,` its shank connecting with said levers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In arneans for connecting a coupler with a car the combination with a bracket projecting from and secured to the end of said car, a spring` draft-rigging beneath said car and a spring-actuated plunger therefor, of levers jointedly connecting said bracket and plunger and a draw-bar or coupler having its shank fulcrume'd to said levers between said bracket and plunger and a bearing-shoulder on the rear end of said coupler-shank adapted to engage with the under side of said bracket, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EDIVARD GRAFSTROM. In presence of- A. W. SHIELDS, C. C. SHEPHERD. 

